Inflating means



y 1953 w. J. PHANE I 2,639,750

INFLATING MEVANS Filed March 7, 1951 INVENTOR. 23 WALTER J. PHANE FIG. 2

ATTORNEY Patented May 26, 1953 INFLATING MEANS Walter J. Rhane, Akron,Ohio, assignor to Wings foot Corporation, Akron, Qhio, a corporationof;

Delaware Application March 7, 1951, SerialNo. 214 355 6. Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved,

form of inflating means for an inflatable fabric member. Moreparticularly; the-present invention pertains to an inflating elementorvalve for use on any of several different forms. of inflatable fabricproductsincluding a wide variety: ofstructural shapes such, for example,as boats, pontoons, buildings, forms, and other similar articles.

Theinflating means of the presentinvention is especially well adapted touse in connection with such inflatable articles as are capable offabrication from a doubles-ply. fabric.

This double-ply fabri'cembodies: a top ply: and bottom ply disposed insubstantially superposed relation to. each other with a multiplicity ofsub-- coating, they are inflated through any suitableform. ofinflatingtube or valve structurethrough.

which fluid under pressure may be introduced to the chamber defined byand enclosed. within.

the cooperating" top and: bottom plies of the double-ply fabric.

The double-ply fabric, however, unlike the single-ply materialpreviously: used, must. have.

the Various: fittings which are employed there-- with firmly anchoredintoboth plies to prevent destruction of the fabricwhenitiszfinally'sealed and inflated. This isattributable. to the factthat when an opening for insertion: of a valve, for example, is cut inone ply of the double-ply fabric, the tie threads. in the areaimmediately adjacent the out are left unanchored in the remaining ply.This places an excessive: strain on the other tie threads in the fabricelement. adjacent the portion removed when the element.

is sealed and inflated.

The inflating means of. the present. invention was developed for theexpressv purpose of providing'a positive reinforcement; in the areawherethe fluid is admitted to the fabric. elementand to prevent failureof the double-ply fabric. It is highlyadvantageous in that itenabl'esthe distribution of: the stresses: created in the double plyfabric by theinflation of the structure tobe distributed and thus toprevent. failures. caused by the breaking: or disengagement of theunanchored: tiethreadsin the: fabric..

It is the primary object. of the present invention to provide aninflating means which is par.- ti'cularly adapted to use in conectionwith structures fabricated: from double-ply fabric.

It is another object ofthe present invention; to provide an improvedform of inflating means which is capable of use with productsmanufactured from double-ply fabric for preventing failure of the fabricin the area where the inflating means is installed.

Other features and advantages of the present invention. will becomeapparent as the description of oneform of inflating means: embodying"the inventive concept proceeds.

In the drawing, Fig. i represents a partial plan view of a double-plyfabric element with an inflating means embodying the teachings of thepresent invention. Fig; 2 is a vertical crosssectiontakenv substantiallyalong the line 2-2- iniFigr l' with parts-in elevation and broken away.Fig. 3: is an enlarged detail inhorizontal sectionof a portion of the,conduit for the inflating means.v

The; reference numeral l in Figs. 1 and 2 identifies the; inflatingmeans of the present inventionigenerally. Gneof the principal componentsot the inflating means i is an. inflating element or valve 2 having athreaded end portion 3 nous-- ing a conventional valve core 4 internallyof itsbore:v 5;. The valve 2 comprises a rubber stem portion 6: and anintegrally formed. flange portion 1. It will be readily understood thatany conventional form of valve stem, whether it be of all rubber or all:metal construction, will sufiice' for the purposes of the presentinvention, the-one shown here being solely for the purposeofillustration.

Thevalvez, is disposed with its integral flange portion 1: inregistration with an aperture 8 in an. inflatable fabric member orsegment 9; The inflatable fabric member s comprises a. top fabric ply H-which. is. disposed inopposed relation to a. bottom fabric ply I2 andsecured thereto by means: of a multiplicity of tie threads [-3 The tiethreads l3 are of predetermined length and are substantiallyinextensible, whereby the spacing between. the top fabric ply H andthebottom fabric ply I2 is predetermined when the inflatable fabricmember 9 is: satisfactorily sealed and inflated.

In the; use of an inflatable fabric member 9: in various typesofconstruction to which. it; isv adaptedi the outermost surfaces of" thetop fabric ply H and the; bottom fabric; ply t2: are coated with; a.suitablefluidi-imperyious coating such, for

3 example, as a thin coating of rubber or the like. It will beunderstood that when the inflatable fabric member 9 is sealed andinflated, the top fabric ply II and the bottom fabric ply I2 will bedisposed in the relationship illustrated in Fig. 2. When the inflatablefabric member is void of inflating fluid, the top fabric ply I I willordinarily be disposed in opposed contacting rela-.

tion with the bottom fabric ply I2, thereby rendering the structurereadily collapsible.

The aperture 8 in the inflatable fabric member 9 is defined by a fabricsleeve I of generally tubular shape forming a conduit. This conduit I0may take any suitable shape, being either circular, square, orrectangular in cross-section. The conduit It serves to provide asatisfactory reinforcement for the aperture 8 to hold the top fabric plyI I and the bottom fabric ply I2 in predetermined spaced relation asdetermined by the length of the tie threads I3.

The conduit I0 is preferably of generally cylindrical shape by reason ofits ease of construction. As illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, apiece of single-ply fabric It is formed into the cylindrical sleeve I0with its ends lapped over to form the joint l5 and bonded together. Aninner and outer tape reinforcement IE and Il, respectively, serve toprotect and reinforce the joint lb.

The piece of fabric I4 forming the sleeve I0 is provided with a flangedportion I8 which is formed by folding back a portion of the end of thefabric I4 and slitting the same to form a series of tabs I9 which aredisposed in contact with the top fabric ply II to which they are securedby a suitable bonding agent. The opposite end of the piece of fabric I4comprising the sleeve I0 is treated in a similar manner to form theflange portion 20' comprising a series of tabs 2| correspondinggenerally to the several tabs I9 formed in the flanged portion I8 justdescribed. As before, the several tabs 2| are adhesively secured to thebottom ply I2 of the inflatable fabric member 9.

In order to form a satisfactory anchorage for the flanged portion I8 ofthe piece of fabric I4 forming the sleeve III, a reinforcement element22 of annular form is cut from a flat piece of fabric. The reinforcement22 is adapted to overlay completely the several tabs I 9 comprising theflanged portion I8 and to project therebeyond so as to enable it to besecured to the top fabric ply ll of the inflatable fabric member 9. Asimilar reinforcement 23 is applied to the several tabs 2|" of theflange portion 20 to secure them in place with respect to the bottomfabric member 9 and a circular fabric cover patch 24 is arranged tooverlay the whole assembly.

The flange portion 1 of the valve 2 is secured in place over thereinforcement 22 with the bore 5 thereof in coaxial relation to thesleeve I0. A patch 24 of annular shape is cut from a flat piece offabric so as to encircle the base of the stem portion 6 of the valve 2.The patch 24 i arranged to overlay the uppermost surface of the flangeportion I of the valve 2 and extend therebeyond. The patch 24 is thusenabled to be adhesively secured to the top fabric ply II of theinflatable fabric member 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

In order that fluid under pressure introduced to the bore 5 of the valve2 of the inflating means I may be distributed through the entire innerchamber 26 of the inflatable fabric member 9, a number of apertures 21are provided in the fabric I 4 comprising the sleeve II]. It will benoted that the inflating means I comprising the valve 2 and the sleeveI0 affords a highly advantageous means of introducing the inflatingfluid under pressure to the chamber 26 in the inflatable fabric member 9and at the same time provides a reinforcement for the aperture 8.Moreover, the inflating means I is sufficiently flexible to promote thereadily collapsible character of the inflatable fabric member essentialin the many varied forms of products such as those previously mentioned.

While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown forthe purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in this art that various changes and modiflcaions may be madetherein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threads woven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising an openended flexible walled conduit extending between thefabric plies and having at least one aperture in the wall thereofcommunicating with the chamber; a port mounted on one of the fabricplies and operatively connected to an end of the conduit for admittingfluid under pressure to the chamber; and means on the other fabric plyfor closing the other end of the conduit.

2. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threads woven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising a valve having a base portion thereon; a conduit disposedbetween the fabric plies in substantially coaxial relation to the valve,said conduit being formed of flexible material and having a plurality ofapertures therein communicating with the chamber; means for mounting thevalve on one ply of fabric; and means on the other ply of fabric forclosing the end of the conduit opposite the valve.

3. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threads woven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising a conduit disposed between the fabric plies, said conduitbeing formed of a strip of fabric and having at least one aperture inthe wall thereof communicating with the chamber; a port having a baseportion threon, said port admitting fluid under pressure to the conduit;means for'mounting the port on the fabric ply at one end of the conduit;and means on the other fabric ply for closing the other end of theconduit.

4. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threadswoven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising a fabric tubular element disposed between the fabric plies,said element having a plurality of apertures formed in the Wall thereof;a valve having the base thereof mounted on one of the fabric pliessubstantially in registration with an end of the fabric element; meansfor sealing the base of the valve with respect to the ply of fabric onwhich it is mounted; and means providing a fluid-tight closure for theend of the tubular element opposit that to which the valve is connected.

5. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threads woven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising a generally tubular element the wall of which is formed of aflat piece of single-ply fabric joined at its ends disposed between andsecured at its open ends to the fabric plies of the inflatable member toreinforce an aperture therein and to define a conduit therebetween, saidelement having a plurality of openings formed in the wall thereof forcommunication with the chamber; a valve mounted on one of the fabricplies, said conduit being connected with the conduit and closing one endthreof and means forming a fluid-tight closure for the end of theconduit opposite the valve.

'6. In an inflatable fabric member embodying two fabric plies having afluid impervious coating thereon disposed in opposed relation to eachother and joined together by a plurality of substantially inextensibletie threads woven at least partially into each of the fabric plies, themarginal edges of said fabric plies being sealed to define asubstantially fluid-tight chamber therebetween, an inflating meanscomprising a generallytubular element the wall of which is formed of aflat piece of single-ply fabric joined at its ends disposed between andsecured at its open ends to the fabric plies of the inflatable member toreinforce an aperture therein and to define a conduit therebetween, saidelement having a plurality of openings formed in the wall thereof forcommunication with the chamber; a flanged portion adjacent the open endsof the tubular element for attachment to each of the fabric plies of theinflatable member; an annular sealing member securing the flangedportion to the fabric plies; a valve mounted on one of the fabric plieswith its base in substantial registration with an end of the tubularelement; an annular sealing member encompassing the base of the valveand secured in place over the flanged portion of the tubular element andits sealing member; and a fabric patch secured to the other fabric plyclosing and sealing the end of the tubular element opposite the valve.

WALTER J. PHANE'.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,686,366 Boyle Oct. 2, 1928 2,028,060 Gilbert Jan. 14, 19362,318,492 Johnson May 4, 1943 2,495,254 Heigis Jan. 24, 1950

